Alex Ma

Yes, but the problem with that is that I am in Hong Kong at the moment and for travel insurance to be valid you need to travel from and back to the same country. My issue is not buying insurance - I am happy to buy travel insurance, but that doesn't cover me working, and yet I don't want to buy working holiday insurance because they are sold on an annual basis and are thus a ridiculously expensive option for my 3 months in AUS. Again, as Blossom mentions employers are supposed to provide you with work insurance, but I don't know what I will be doing yet (i.e. what happens if I just get a casual part-time job with no contract) so I would like to cover all my bases. I am considering taking out normal travel insurance and then buying private health insurance when in AUS, e.g. with Bupa or Medibank - anyone have any experiences with them?

Well yes the problem is that the reciprocal health agreement lacks cover on other things that may screw you over, such as ambulance costs or repatriation costs (unlikely, but that's the point of insurance). There seems to be such a massive divide between opinions - some are certain that you cannot rely on Medicare alone, where some are quick to uphold it as fine and dandy.

I'm not too concerned about my belongings etc. to be perfectly honest - I just don't want to end up with a massive medical bill (my friend did, and he's from the UK also). As I understand it, Medicare only covers emergencies and even then it doesn't cover you completely? As a result, I don't mind paying for health insurance. Can you elaborate on the work cover? Who is this provided by? Are all employers supposed to cover you? The 'work' element of insurance is the only thing that's stopping me from just taking out normal travel insurance because I won't be covered if I have a work-based injury. Alex

Hello, I am looking to go for a WH in AUS for only a few months this summer. I have a question about insurance. I don't plan to stay there the whole year (maybe 4-6 months) but the problem with purchasing WHV insurance is that most providers sell them by the year and not by the month. I don't want to pay for an expensive plan for the whole year because I don't need it. The other alternative is to buy a travel insurance plan in monthly instalments. Trouble with this is that this only covers me for accidents and emergencies during 'travel' so if I have any accidents or injuries at work, I won't be covered. The alternative is to purchase insurance tailored to WHV tourists whilst in AUS (I've seen that BUPA does insurance aimed at people on 417 WHV). Is this a reliable or better option? It's still more expensive but I would imagine they would be easier to deal with in case of a claim. Any ideas? Thanks, Alex